Feeding mechanism for pencils, lighters, etc.



June 13, 1950 J. T. BRUBAKER 2,511,243

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PENCILS, LIGHTERS, ETC

Filed Aug. 11, 1944 2 Sheet-Shqet I June 13,1950 J. T. BRUBAKER 2,511,243

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PENCILS, LIGHTERS, ETC

Filed Aug. 11, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 13, 1959 UNETED STATS A'i'hilt'l OFFICE FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PENCIL S, LIGHTERS, ETC.

18 Claims.

This invention relates to the feeding mechanism of leads in a pencil, spark-producing elements in a cigarette lighter, or other purposes.

It is especially aimed to provide a novel means comprising one or more suitably mounted and operable gripping or feeding studs having spiral thread means to directly engage the leads, spark producing elements or the like so that through their rotation, the leads and elements will be axially moved or fed.

A further object is to provide novel, simplified, inexpensive and durable embodiments of the in vention in the form of a pencil.

Still further, an aim is to provide a novel, simple, durable and inexpensive embodiment of the invention in a cigarette lighter or the equivalent.

I also aim to provide a novel cigarette lighter having mechanism to urge the closure of a cigarette lighter to open position when unrestrained, and which coacts in the production of the spark during movement of the closure to said open po sition.

The more specific objects and advantages will become apparent and in part be pointed out in the consideration of the description following taken in connection with accompanying drawings illustrating operative embodiments as examples.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pencil embodying the invention;

Figure 2' is a view thereof approximately in central longitudinal section;

Figure 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 3a is a detail, approximately in central vertical section of the compressor for the feeding studs or elements;

Figure 4 is a central longitudinal sectional view through a modified form of pencil;

Figure 5 is a central longitudinal sectional view through a further modified form of pencil;

Figure 6 is a view in substantially vertical central section through a cigarette lighter embodying the novel feeding mechanism for its spark producing element;

Figure '7 is an end elevation of said cigarette lighter;

Figure 8 is across section taken on the 8-8 of Figure 6;

Figure 9 is a cross section taken on the line 99 of Figure 6; and

Figure 10 is a detailed section taken on the line l0ltl of Figure 8.

Referring specifically to the drawings, and first, to the pencil illustrated in the form of Figures 1 to Be, the same has a suitable casing or barrel generally designated it, which is made in any desired shape, size and material. Such barrel, for the most part, is hollow, open at the top, and thicker at the bottom as at l l centrally of which a bore i2 is provided in which a guide tube l3 for a lead M, is removably or otherwise disposed.

Said guide tube I3 is part of a mounting l5 which may be a horizontal disk occupying the base of the hollow or cavity of the barred l0 and seated on the thickened portion ii. The unitary parts it and I5 may be applied and removed through the open top of the barrel.

In order to feed the lead hi axially through the tube It beyond the lower end of the penoil, I provide a plurality of coacting feed studs it. Such studs have pins ll depending therefrom and extending loosely through enlarged openings l8 in the mounting or disk i5 and below the same have upset heads 18 to prevent detachment of the studs or feeding elements.

Since the plurality of feeding elements are loosely mounted, they are adjustable toward and away from each other to accommodate different diameters of lead It. Said studs are surrounded by an inverted hell 2!] which is split at one or more longitudinal lines 2| to enable the bell to be compressed. This bell has a longitudinal neck 22 extended upwardly therefrom and which is hollow so as to guide and retain the lead as best shown in Figure 2. Above the neck, and integral therewith, is a magazine 23 having a funnel-shaped portion 2s at the connection with the neck so as to guide the leads I 4 into the same.

The leads may be supplied to magazine 23 through a short tube or reduced portion 25 located at the top thereof and extending through a plug 26 loosely mounted thereon and having screw engagement at 21 with the upper end of the barrel ill. The upper end of the tube or reduced portion 25 is rigidly connected to a. retalning clip 28 which functions dually as a means to turn the bell 20 and parts rigid therewith and also as a means to secure the pencil in place to the wall of a pocket in clothing or the like.

Vulcanized to the inner annular wall of the hell 2! or otherwise immovably fastened within the bell is a resilient rubber lining 29 which may have an outwardly extending flange 30 upon which the lower edge of the bell 2-0 rests. Lining 29 is of such shape and size that it is penetrated 3 by the spiral threads 3! of the feeding studs or elements 16. Thus, when the bell 25 is turned, the rubber lining will cause the feeding studs [6 to turn and through the medium of their spiral threads 3!, to bite into and feed the lead l4 axially.

It will be realized that the bell 20 and parts rigid therewith or connected thereto may be applied to and removed from the barrel as a unit through the top of the latter.

As previously stated, bell 20 is split as at 2! so that the studs 1 6 may be moved relatively to each other in order to accommodate varying thicknesses of lead. The loose mounting of the feed studs 16 at pins l! and openings [8 greatly aids in accomplishing this end. In addition, it will be noted that the upper ends of the studs are conical as at 32 and are engaged by an angular or cam wall 33 provided on the lining 29. Thus through axial adjustment of the position of the bell relatively to the studs, the latter may be moved toward each other or permitted to move away from each other to a slight extent.

In order to effect the aforesaid adjustment of the studs, through compression of the split shell or bell 29, the same is surrounded by a wedge shaped cam 34 at one end, the cam forming part of a. cage-like structure generally designated 35 and having arms 36 connecting the cam to a ring nut 3'! screw-threaded at 38 to an enlarged portion on the neck 22. The portion of the bell engaged by cam 34 is preferably inclined as shown in Figure 2. Since the bell and parts rigidly connected thereto and mounted thereon are removable as a unit through the upper end of the barrel, element 35 is adapted for adjustment when the unit is thus removed.

Said feed studs l6 may be made of any suitable material, for instance, entirely of lead or any other metal or partly of metal with an exterior including the threads thereon of rubber or plastic material, or entirely of rubber, plastic material or any substitute or eouivalent.

It will be realized that the magazine 23 will be filled with leads l4 through the short tube 25 and that the leads cannot readily fall therefrom if the pencil is inverted, since tube 25 forms a short guard as it depends at 39 into the magazine 23. From the magazine, the leads can, one at a time, fall into the tube or neck 22 through the funnel 24, thence between the feed studs l6 and through the turning of the bell and connected parts by rotating the clip 28 or equivalent, cause the threads 3! of the feed studs to engage and axially feed the leads through the feed tube l3 as suggested in Figure 2, the studs holding the lead against retraction as they have sufficient frictional or threaded engagement therewith.

Various changes may be resorted to provided they fall within the spirit and scope of the invention. For instance, I may use the embodiment of Figure 4. In this figure, a barrel or casing is provided at an having a hollow or magazine 4| at ts up er end to function as a magazine to receive leads through the top which is adapted to be normallv closed b a. screw plug 42 carrying an attaching clip 43. At the lower end, a rotatable gripping head is provided with an extension telescoped and swiveled within the lower end of the casing 45 and removably held in place therein by extension of one or more set-screws 5 through the casing 40 into an annular groove 4'! formed peripherally of extension 45.

Casing 4!] has an interior enlargement 48 against which the upper end of extension 45 bears,

A guide element 49 bears against the upper end of enlargement 48 and has a tubular portion 50 passing through the extension and being detach ably screw-threaded at 5| to the extension 45. The parts 44 and 49 thus will form a unit, the parts of which are relatively adjustable to engage the shoulders of enlargement 48 and which adjustment will be maintained so that the unit is capable of swiveling relatively to the casing 40 through the provision of one or more of the screws 46.

Said parts 44 and 49 have central bores through which leads 52 may be passed, entering through a funnel-shaped cavity 53 at the top of the feed element 49 and in the wall of which cavity, recesses such as 54 may be provided to enable engagement thereof by a special wrench inserted through the top of casing 41 when attaching or adjusting the parts 44 and 49.

Head 44 has an internal recess 55 which houses a plurality of feeding studs 56 constructed like and of the same material as those at IS, the pins (1, however, usually being omitted. Such studs are loose within the recess 55.

It will be understood that the leads 50 will fall through the bore of the guide 49 between the feed studs 56 and that the latter at their screw-threads will engage the leads so that through turning or swiveling of the unit 4449 relatively to the-casing 40, the leads will be axially fed through the bore of the point 44.

In Figure 5, I have disclosed another form wherein a casing 51 has a head 58 from which a tube 59 rises for the supply of the leads through an' axial bore 60 extending through such tube and the head 58. Tube 59 is rigid with the casing and head and may even be formed integral therewith as shown. A screw cap BI is detachably fastened by threads at 52 to the top of casing 5'! and it centrally abuts the upper end of tube 59 and has a central opening 63 through which the leads may be supplied to the bore 65, guided by a flared enlargement 54 at the entrance to the tube 69.

Adjacent the base of the tube 59, its wall is cut away forming an opening at 65 so that a feed stud 66 may occupy the same. This stud is constructed like those described at l5 and 56, being of metal, rubber, a plastic or composite. Stud 56 is rigid on an operating rod 61 arranged parallel to the tube 50' and having its upper end journaled in an opening in the closure 6! so that it may be rotated by manipulation of a. knob 65! thereon located outside of the pencil. Interiorly of the pencil, rod 61 has an abutment 68 thereon to engage the underside of cap 6| to prevent longitudinal displacement of the rod. The lower end of stud 66 is conical at 69 and it is located in a conical recess 10 so that according to the degree of tightening of the closure 6|, the stud will be adjusted or positioned differently with respect to the lead, in order to engage the lead H with different degrees of pressure and to accommodate leads of slightly differing diameters. Thus it will be seen that the leads H are supplied through the opening 63 and bore 69 into en agement with the thread of the stud 66. With such stud at the proper axial adjustment, knob 65 may be turned so that the threads of the stud will engage the lead and axially feed it and hold it at such pressure as to prevent retrogression thereof.

In Figs. 6 to 10 I have illustrated the use of my improving feeding mechanism or studs in connection with the flint or pyrophoric element of a cigarette lighter or the equivalent. This lighter has a container section for the liquid hydrocarbon at 12 into which a wick 13 extends, being threaded through a screw tube 14 secured in the top wall 55 of the container section 72. A flint, pyrophoric Or other spark-producing element F5 is located for coaotion of a friction or abrading wheel 5'! with its upper end to produce a spark to ignite fuel at the upper end of the Wick l3.

Removably disposed in the container section 12 is a barrel 18 which may have a head 19 pressfitted or otherwise secured to its top and which in turn has a reduced portion 80 removably fitted in an opening in wall 15. A screw plug 8! is threaded into the bottom of said container section and is overlapped by a flange 82 on the bottom wall of such section. Said flange centers the barrel l8 and the plug 8| secures it in place sealed against the entrance and escape of the fuel within the container section. At the same time, in the absence of the plug, casing 18 and parts carried thereby may be readily inserted and removed through the bottom of section '12.

Located within the barrel 18 is a bell member having a neck or tubular extension 84 rotatable in the plug ti and exteriorly of the latter having a manipulating knob 85 thereon. Bell 83 and extension 84 have a slight axial sliding movement in the plug to the extent limited by a pin or abutment 85 carried by extension 84.

The element it is supplied through tube 86 from the bottom and is adapted to be axially fed toward the wheel by feeding studs 8'! employed in any desired number. These studs are constructed like those at- It, 55 and 66, that is partly or entirely of rubber or metal or compositely or of any desired material either rigid or elastic, with an exterior screw thread thereon. These feed studs 8? have pins 88 at one end loosely mounted in sockets in the head 19 and at their other ends they are preferably conical at 8!]. These studs are housed within the bell B3 and the conical wall ill! of the latter are adapted to coact with the conical surfaces 89. As a result, the bell 83 may be turned and if necessary slightly axially moved as well to adjust the position or the studs 8'! so that the threads of the studs will engage the element '55 and feed it axially toward the wheel ll when desired.

Said wheel l? is journalled by means of a pin 9! in bearings 92 carried by wall 15. A closure 92 is pivoted at 93 to said wall and is urged to the dotted lined. open position of Fig. 6 by the expansion of a leaf spring 94 secured to said wall. This closure is held against opening by the engagement of a latch 95 with an inwardly extending flange 98 thereof. Latch 95 is a resilient metal strip or the equivalent and the same and an actuator 9'! thereof, are held in place to wall l5 by a screw or fastening 93. Actuator 91 is also resilient and it is normally flush with the exterior of the container '52, avoiding any exterior projection. However, it may at any time be pressed inwardly with the finger nail for example to disengage the latch 95 from flange 96 so that the closure will spring to open position.

A snufier or small hood for the flame end of wick i3 is carried by the closure and a flexible metallic web Or strip 519 fastened to wall i5, is secured to a hook Mil thereon. Web 99 has a series of openings therethrough enmeshed with the teeth of wheel ll so that as the closure $32 is sprung open by spring 94, the teeth of wheel Tl will be turned as web 99 has a spring extension action, and the turning of thewheel causes its teeth to produce sparks by abrasive or friction action with the upper end of element 16 which ignite fuel at the upper end of the wick 13. The closure is depressible by hand to snuff the flame and automatically latch at flange St and element 95. Pin 91 has bearing in elongated slots lill in bearings 92 and is resiliently mounted therein since a spring I92 at each bearing bears against the top of the pin as well shown in Fig. 10.

What is claimed is:

1. Feeding mechanism for a cylindrical at tenuated element comprising a loose stud to engage the element, and means movable longitudinally with respect to the stud to move the stud laterally into frictional engagement with the element and turn the stud to feed the element.

2. Feeding mechanism for a cylindrical ele= ment comprising a plurality of loosely mountedthreaded studs to surround and engage the ele= ment, and means positioning the studs about the element, and operable to move the studs to--- ward each other to the elements and to turnthe studs to feed the element longitudinally with respect to the studs.

3. Feeding mechanism for a cylindrical element comprising a stud rotatable on an axis approximately parallel thereto having an elastic spiral thread to contact the element so that through rotation of the stud the element will be fed.

4. Feeding mechanism for a cylindrical element comprising a plurality of loose studs to surround and frictionally engage the element, said studs having spiral threads to contact thev element, and a bell enclosing the studs and movable longitudinally with respect to the studs and having a cam surface operable thereagainst to move them laterally toward each other and position them in feeding engagement with the element.

5. Feeding mechanism for a cylindrical element comprising a plurality of loose studs to surround and frictionally engage the element, said studs having spiral threads to contact the element, a mounting loosel positioning the stud at one end, and a bell movable longitudinally with respect to the studs enclosing and compressing the studs in feeding engagement with the element.

6. A pencil having a casing, loose gripping studs to feed lead therethrough, means confining said studs comprising a bell having a cam surface contacting the studs and movable axially with respect thereto to move the studs laterally to grip the lead, and means operable to turn and slide the bell to cause the studs to feed the lead.

7. A pencil having a casing, studs therein having spiral threads to engage and feed lead, a bell surrounding the studs having gripping material therein to contact said threads and turn the studs.

8. A pencil having a casing, studs loose therein having spiral threads to engage and feed lead, a compressible bell surrounding the studs to move them toward each other and operable to turn them, and means carried by the bell operable to compress the same.

9. A pencil having a casing, studs loose therein having spiral threads to engage and feed lead, a mounting for the studs, a split bell surrounding the studs, a resilient means within the bell to engage the studs to turn them so that they will turn a lead, a compressor means carried by the bell, a tubular neck carrying the bell, and a screw threaded connection between the compressor means and the neck.

' 10. A pencil having a casing, a point member rotatably mounted thereon, a feed member threaded to the point member, the casing having an internal construction engaged on opposite ends by said members, and feed studs for lead loosely mounted in the point member having exterior spiral threads to engage and feed the lead.

11. A pencil having a casing provided with a tube for the feed of lead therethrough, said tube having an opening, a recess within the casing having a cam wall, a cap on the casing, a rod journaled in the cap, and a stud carried by the rod having threads engageable with lead to feed the same, said stud extending through said opening and having engagement with said cam wall so that its position may be varied relative to a lead.

12. A lighter having means operable to produce a spark including a spark-producing element, a plurality of feed studs having spiral threads to engage the element and feed the same, a mounting loosely positioning the studs, and a bell rotatable and slidable to engage the studs tocontact their threads with the lead and move the studs for feeding of the element.

13. A lighter according to claim 12 having a closure, a wheel to contact the element to produce sparks, and means enmeshed with the teeth of the wheel, extensible through opening of the closure to turn the wheel against the element.

14. A lighter according to claim 12 having a casing section, a barrel therein having a head constituting said mounting, a plug secured to the casing section and bearing against the barrel, said bell having a tube extending through said plug.

15. A lighter according to claim 12 having a closure, a spring latch on the lighter interiorly thereof engageable with the closure, and a. spring operator on the lighter depressible against the latch and disposed normally flush with the exterior of the casing of the lighter.

16. An article of the class described having a plurality of studs provided with spiral threads to engage and feed a cylindrical element, said studs at one end being approximately conical, means adjacent the other end of said studs loosely mounting the same for relative approximately radial bodily sliding movement, and an axially movable bell enclosing said conical ends and having a cam surface operable thereagainst to move the studs radially toward each other.

17. An article of the class described having studs provided with spiral threads to engage and feed a cylindrical element, means adjacent one end of said studs loosely mounting the same for relatively approximately radial sliding movement, and an axially movable bell having a cam surface operable against said studs adjacent the other ends to move them radially toward each other.

18. A pencil according to claim 9 wherein said resilient means has an outwardly extending flange disposed between said mounting and the adjacent portion of said bell.

JOHN T. BRUBAKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 273,546 Jaeger Mar. 6, 1883 1,044,165 Goerdes Nov. 12, 1912 1,775,023 Douglas Sept. 2, 1930 1,864,038 Barberon June 21, 1932 2,183,706 Bass Dec. 19, 1939 2,272,158 Anderson Feb. 3, 1942 

